Jaipur: A new state-of-the-art design centre has been inaugurated at JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU) in Jaipur on March 25. The new centre, MP Ranjan-JKLU Design Resource Centre, is a part of institute of design. Hon’ble Minister of Industry and State Enterprise, Shri Prasadi Lal Meena inaugurated the new design centre.

“With the opening of the new centre, I believe that Rajasthan will be the one-stop hub for the designers at global level. I am honored to inaugurate the centre, named after the stalwart of design, Prof MP Ranjan,” said Shri Prasadi Lal Meena, Minister of Industry and State Enterprise, Rajasthan.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof A. Balasubramaniam, Dean of Institute of Design, JK Lakshmipat University , said, “Prof Ranjan was a quintessential teacher. His enthusiasm to learn and teach was infectious. He was always enthusiastic to share what he learnt. His interests were varied and eclectic. Whether it was geometry or basket weaving, philosophy of justice or information technology, he would do a full immersion into the subject. His interests can be gauged from his collection of books, we now have. It is one of the prized book collections at our Learning Resource Centre. And as a fitting tribute we have named this collection at as ‘MP Ranjan – JKLU Design Resource Centre’. The centre will be opened to designers and scholars outside of JKLU as well, as we have done for the rest of the books in our collection.”

Located within the JKLU, the Institute of Design aims to bring a new approach to design education, one that is collaborative in nature and integrative in process. From working in labs and studios to tickling the grey matter for ideas, the institution looks forward to create a progressive landscape in the field of design and create bridges between different design school and a variety of professionals.

“I believe that MP Ranjan Center will leave its mark in the field of design at the global level. I am very happy to see that JKLU has made a remarkable step in this direction. This institute will help in creating a new paradigm. The Institute of Design is a glue that brings all the disciplines together to create a true, one-of-a-kind multi-disciplinary and innovative higher education programme,” said Aditi Ranjan, Professor, National Institute of Design, Ahemdabad(wife of the late MP Ranjan)

Late Professor MP Ranjan was a leading luminary in the field of design in India. A designer of rare caliber, Prof. Ranjan was globally known for his design knowledge and acumen. He was a principal designer at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, where he taught and researched for almost 40 years. He also headed the Bamboo Centre at the National Institute of Design. Prof Ranjan’s collection of 1600 books on the subject of design was donated by his family to JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur . Other rare collection of books, some of which were personally signed by authors from all over the world is an important part of JKLU. The centre’s library will provide access to scholars and other outsiders, who stand to benefit from this incredible collection of books.